clamp
/ˈklæmp/noun, verb
clamp is spelled C-L-A-M-P: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 2.8 times per million words in written English, the 16,005th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, clamp means “A brace, band, or clasp for strengthening or holding things that are apart together” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of clamp is clamps.
How many letters and syllables are in clamp?
| Letters | 5: C-L-A-M-P |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 2.8 times per million words; the 16,005th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is clamp?
Clamp appears 2.8 times per million words in written English, the 16,005th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce clamp?
- /ˈklæmp/
- [ˈkʰlæmp]
- /ˈkleə̯mp/
Clamp has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-clamp.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of clamp
- clamps plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- clamping participle, present
- clamped participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does clamp mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A brace, band, or clasp for strengthening or holding things that are apart together.
- 2
An instrument used to temporarily shut off blood vessels, etc.
- 3
UKA parking enforcement device used to immobilise a car until it can be towed or a fine is paid; a wheel clamp.
- 4
A pile of materials to be heated in a controlled way, stacked or heaped together with fuel so that the fire permeates the pile; the material of interest may be bricks to be fired, ore for roasting, coal for coking, or wood to be charcoalized.
- 5
A compact pile of agricultural produce (such as root vegetables or silage) used for temporary storage (often covered with straw, earth, or both).
- 6
A piece of wood (batten) across the grain of a board end to keep it flat, as in a breadboard.
- 7
An electronic circuit that fixes either the positive or the negative peak excursions of a signal to a defined value by shifting its DC value.
- 8
datedA heavy footstep; a tramp.
verb
- 1
To fasten in place or together with (or as if with) a clamp.
- 2
To hold or grip tightly.
- 3
To modify (a numeric value) so it lies within a specific range by replacing values outside the range with the closest value within the range.
- 4
UKobsoleteTo cover (vegetables, etc.) with earth.
- 5
To immobilise (a vehicle) by means of a wheel clamp.
I was only parked there for five minutes but my car was still clamped.
- 6
datedTo tread heavily or clumsily; to clump or clomp.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Clamp in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | serre-joint , serrer, fixer |
| German | Klammer, Schraubzwinge, Klemme , einklemmen, festklemmen |
| Portuguese | grampo, braçadeira |
| Spanish | sargento, mordaza, pinza, abrazadera, clamp, sujetador |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does clamp come from?
From Middle Dutch clamp, klampe (“a clamp, hook”), from Proto-Germanic *klampō (“clamp, clasp, cramp”), related to Proto-West Germanic *klammjan.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).